Sacrifice, Indulgence and Domesticity

The following images reveal the shifting characteristics associated with patriotic behavior in the domestic sphere – a shift symbolized here by the replacement of the ideals of practicality and sacrifice with those of leisure and consumption.

https://wesfiles.wesleyan.edu/home/jcohencole/web/Cold-War-Media/Let%27emComeWhenTheyCome%21%28Life%2CFeb61942%2C37%29.jpg?uniq=y5j2h1
“Let ‘em come when they come!”
LIFE, July 6, 1942, pg. 37

The Campbell’s Soup advertisement, featured in the July 6, 1942 issue of LIFE, vividly reflects and encourages both the sacrifice of the woman to the workplace and of family togetherness more generally (symbolized most clearly through that of the family dinner). Raising the “worrisome problem” of “how to keep step with her own war work and yet ‘keep a good table’, too,” this advertisement suggests that the woman’s contribution to the war undermines her contribution to the family. And not only must the mother rush off to first aid class instead of serving dinner, but the father and son are also “liable to be kept at it later than they expect.” Previously brought together in the evening by the sacred family dinner, the members of this family are now fragmented by their contributions to the war. Yet these sacrifices are notably idealized – the advertisement claims to “make soup to set you free to do your part for Victory!”

https://wesfiles.wesleyan.edu/home/jcohencole/web/Cold-War-Media/BeerBelongs-EnjoyIt%21%28Life%2CFeb201956%2Cp105%29.jpg?uniq=y5j2gt
“Beer Belongs – Enjoy It!”
LIFE, February 20, 1956, pg. 105

Whereas the previous advertisement markets its product as an aid to mother’s “hectic days” and in support of “menfolk’s jobs,” this second advertisement, issued by United States Brewers Foundation, reveals a prioritization of indulgence over sacrifice in the domestic sphere. The evening, in particular, is reconceived as a time for leisure, togetherness, and indulgence – the text asserts that “with dinner over, and the cares of the day forgotten, its good to rest, relax…” The male figure is now able to return form work early, and the female, no longer required to work, can engage in stereotyped activities such as the needle point here depicted.
Importantly, this new image of domesticity transcends the relative emotional and social indulgences, extending to the physical and material surroundings. Promising that the “beer’s tangy, distinctive flavor blends with quiet, tasteful surroundings… with good books, good conversation, gracious living,” this advertisement reflects the growing culture of consumption rather than sacrifice. The idealization of indulgence and leisure over sacrifice and practicality is further expressed in the contrast between the mention of “relaxation” and “gracious living” here, and Campbell’s emphasis on characteristics of their soup as “sturdy,” “nourishing” and “rugged.”